New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-06
SCHULTZ WILL NOT RECEDE
POLITICS IN THE PUBLIC WORKS.
GENERAL NEWTON CHARGED WITH RETAINING IhE

GENERAL NEWTON CHARGED WITH RETAINING IN"
GANG" sYsTEM-A SPICY LETTER
Jackson s. Schultz stirred up good deal Of hornets
nest in making his attack the administration of the
Department OF Public Works In the Chamber OF Com
merce meeting Thursday. and his omission 10 make
any public statement to substantiate his charges lea
many to regard them intended To operate as g"ol
enough Morgan TIL after election TRIBUNE reporter
yesterday called Mr. Schultz at his house IN East
Seventcenthst.
The whole thing Is tempest in teapot, SAID MT
Schultz al did say all the things that have been
attributed 10 Inc and most OF the SPECIFIC Instances vi
msnanagement in street repairing such as the raising
of stone cost OF $780, which would have cos,
private citizen only So aud the sinking of carriage up
TO the wheel hubs In newly paved street were con
trbuted by other members OF the Chamber III the
desultory discussion that followed my amendment TO the
resolution for appropriation TO relay the pavenohts'
the amendment providing for contract work so ar as
possible, and passing by a unanimous vote.
justified my amendment by saying that the Depart
ment of Public Works as now managed made use Oh
that worthless and a system a. corrupt as
under the Tweed regime ON that Fred COnkin got up
You know him land here Mr. Schultz opened his eX-
tended arms 10 indicate an expansive manner ana
lordy mien)-" and made sort Of Bombastes furioso
speech In which recOunted General Newtons blrth'
West Point education. services and blowing up OF
Hell Gate, praisng HIM all the way from the cradle 10
the grave and said 1t a shame Ia traIhce the
character of Il with such record. replied that
whatever mans character and services were thcy
should shield him from criticism of his official acts
II he had blown Hell Gate skyhgh, II might he perfect
ly true that in certain respects alluded particularly to
street repairing his methods faulty That Is all
said and all meant. The rest said by others
Now, IL Is "A fact that under General Ncwtons al
mlnstration the gang system OF repairing the streets
is vogue. Men put to work just before elecoh'
aud they work IL stless, inefficient way, just as they
might be expected and do not believe in turning
IN "A Department
guarding the expenditure by provision to secure con-
work. The Department Is under the influence Oh
ward politics decidedly as 1t WAS and General
Newtons statements about civil service and all that,
all bosh He SAYS things going better now than last
year and that next year they Will he better sun -
the curse Of that Department don't know OF but one
commissioner who threw II OFF, guess had better
not name him. lie told me once how John holy sen,
for and showed him li-t OF twenty or thirty men
whom he wanted put In charge OF gangs. The comn,s
took the list and after investigating II told sir
Kelly, this has Just come out of state Prison. thd,
man is under indictment and 80 on until no maj m1d
reduced the let TO six or seven whose records ne co
not find lie told me that Kelly seized the llst ann
sad; 70 nc me- in ths natter bounced out OF the
room and never troubled him again
MIR. SCHULZ WRITES To GENERAL NEWTON.
al don't say that General Newton accepts without
question any such characters "a these but do say tha
he allows petty political influence chance IN the De-
partment. / wrote General Newton this letter on
receipt OF his, yesterday. g.. ~. 700,
]
sR | am duly in receipt u your note OF THIS date
The occurrence at the Chamber OF Commerce To whi'n
member had offered resolution. which, AFTER recuhs
the In the lower part OF the city were III
bad condition. requested the Board OF inalv an,
Apportionmcnt TO grant the Public Works Department
an additional sum OF money. To this objected anu
offered amendment that the work should be done 10y
contract far possible In explaining tile motive Tor
offering the amendment expressed want oi confidence
I'm the present methods OF the Public Works Department.
and especially TO the repaylng Of the sIeeta ana
further said hat in my Judgment the and meth
DDS employed by the present department were as woth
less and the system as corrupt as under the l"eed
| regime 80 go, ,, . 800, - .,1
regretted that IN attack upon the character OF :" en
nent a man as General Newton should be made In tho
| Chamber To this | briefly replied that West f"lnt
education and military science could not make an'ni,
for deficiencies the Public Works Department. ana
that the public would hold BIN responsible for the gangs
OF worthless held IN The public employ Tue
Chamber passed the resolution as amended without
pretending give the exact language OF the debate -
as can remember, this was the substance Yours
respectfully, JA'hn"S = N'"'L'"
Mr.. Schultz added: "Therc-nothing very dreadful in
that IS thcrei"
General Newton sent the following reply to Mr..
0o"u''" '''''' November 3. 1887.
sut; have reo.ivca your communication OF Nov"m-
Der Ia reply to muo OF Sd inst calm; your attention.
10 certain remark a'cIcue IT, you .e.r, e. res.sert
win little OF no qualification. The chargs, You are
called upon 10 prove them o. ietIAet tHcm iou'
Commissions OF Public Works
General Ncwtons opinion Of The suflclrncy ana
innocence al the letter does not coil'e'nu VIZ" tnH ~.
Mr. -chultZ The reporter met tho General A. ne VS.,
entering the Union square Theatre anu tihonEh ne h"i
not discuss the matter the Commissioned IN re-
ply to question to whether The response OF MI
schultz was satisfactory, he applied to tue iatter an
epifhct which thcoloeitns would class uho'r rs
,nrear In the character ~ decent man shall ne
VII Ing 10 listen Ia hun His letter Is worse Than what
he baid before, aud shall pas no attention To IT,